The hint of snow came yesterday to east Tennessee...and with it, the crossed fingers of many teachers and students to get one day off...alas, it didn't happen...hope deferred for another day.
This morning's reading had a quote which made me stare wide-eyed at the page...it said to truly love someone is to, first of all, see the beauty in that person. During this season, I find it easy to give money to a charity or organization and to feel like I did something good for a moment. Don't get me wrong, those acts of giving are important and worthwhile, but do I regularly look at the people around me and love them? Do I see beauty in them? Or do I just give them things in the hopes that they will see Jesus?
Then I heard a song that says, "Your will above all else, my purpose remains.
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise."
When I look back to the times when I have learned the most, or have been the most "teachable," I realize that they are the times when I felt at a loss....the loss of a loved one, the loss of my so-called identity, the loss that my parents felt as they left church ministry, the loss of childhood, college, etc...in those moments of not knowing, of questioning, of doubt, of feeling lost...in those moments we cry out for someone else to take over, to steady us, to make our purpose clear...and our purpose is to love...which, ironically, leads to more uncertainty if we do it trying to see the beauty in others.
Vinvent Van Gogh said, "The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
How's your art looking these days? Jesus was born in a messy place...a strange painting of a King coming to his people. Jesus lived in a messy way...painted a crazy picture for people who decided to follow him without reserve...and they lived in ways that didn't make sense to others, even the "most" religious of his day. So, how are your paintings, sketches, scultures, and such coming along? Messy? Good.....you must be becoming more like Jesus.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Day 7
This morning, I read the following quote, "An emporer should be in the church, not over it."
Check this out....think about the way we receive rulers, kings, presidents, and emporers...
Now, imagine with me for a moment, how Jesus was received...
This morning, I read the following quote, "An emporer should be in the church, not over it."
Check this out....think about the way we receive rulers, kings, presidents, and emporers...
Now, imagine with me for a moment, how Jesus was received...
Was it in a dark cave?
Or among animals, in the straw and cow trough?
Either way, we know that Jesus was not received as the royalty that he was...he was born among animals, under the night sky. We didn't have room to receive him. The animals did...creation did...it groaned for its King.
We still look for leaders and things of God to come in ways that are acceptable to us...ways that we "understand." We make Jesus look the way that we want him to look...the way he looks from our perspective. And yet, Jesus comes in the least expected ways--in the "baaa" of a sheep, in the cry of an infant, in the questions of the unbelieving, on the streets of Wall Streets, in the cardboard box of the homeless mother, in the broken-down car of the struggling father...Jesus hasn't stopped coming...he is an emporer in the church...not just over it.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Day 6
I do love this time of year. My dad does too, especially the decorating aspect of the season. I promise you, every year I find something else added to the attic...another wreath, another box of ornaments, etc. Twlinking lights, wreaths hung, brilliant reds, garland strung along banisters, hand-crafted ornaments hung from lit up trees, candles lit, everything decked out in Christmas splendor...
All of the physical representations of Christmas have come to signal the season for me--even piped in Christmas music and smells of apples and cinnamon have an effect on me in the most unlikely or uninviting places (AKA Walmart). Last night, I found myself singing every Christmas carol, fairly loudly, in the lawn and garden section of Walmart, now transformed into Christmas on crack. There's nothing wrong with the decorations, the smells, the music, or the feelings...
This morning I read a passage of scripture in the New Testament that spoke of the ornamental temple, the buildings, and all of the physical attributes of worship...and after they went on and on about these things, Jesus told them that none of that matters. He refocused them on thoughts of the eternal instead of the temporary. So...all of the attemtion we give to decorating, to making things more physically appealing...it's ok, but to a point. Attention to matters of our own hearts and others' will sustain us...for the Kingdom work today and for eternity. This may sound silly, but I long for people to say things like "your eyes twinkle...you are lit up." And shouldn't we be? We carry this season all year long, in who we are...we are sons and daughters...adopted into this family of faith that reflects the light of a Savior.
All of the physical representations of Christmas have come to signal the season for me--even piped in Christmas music and smells of apples and cinnamon have an effect on me in the most unlikely or uninviting places (AKA Walmart). Last night, I found myself singing every Christmas carol, fairly loudly, in the lawn and garden section of Walmart, now transformed into Christmas on crack. There's nothing wrong with the decorations, the smells, the music, or the feelings...
This morning I read a passage of scripture in the New Testament that spoke of the ornamental temple, the buildings, and all of the physical attributes of worship...and after they went on and on about these things, Jesus told them that none of that matters. He refocused them on thoughts of the eternal instead of the temporary. So...all of the attemtion we give to decorating, to making things more physically appealing...it's ok, but to a point. Attention to matters of our own hearts and others' will sustain us...for the Kingdom work today and for eternity. This may sound silly, but I long for people to say things like "your eyes twinkle...you are lit up." And shouldn't we be? We carry this season all year long, in who we are...we are sons and daughters...adopted into this family of faith that reflects the light of a Savior.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Day 5...Monday Monday
This morning was rushed...I couldn't get ready fast enough, I had to get gas before leaving town, and I took my vitamin before I ate breakfast...big mistake...makes me feel nauseous...bluh. So, I was fighting all of this on my way to work and still trying to still my mind and my stomach. The song "A Baby Changes Everything" came on and that did it...well, at least for my mind.
Part of the song says,
"Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything
Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything."
Now, I'm not a mother...but, I have been privileged to be a part of welcoming many "first" babies into the lives of my friends in the past few years. Babies do change everything--guitars are put away, toys take over living rooms, rooms are converted by cribs and soft pastels, dads become mush, parents become sleep deprived, and on and on...life changes when a baby comes. New life demands change...there's no other option as we accept the new.
Mary's life was turned upside down by the birth of the Christ child...but not just because she birthed Jesus, but because she became a mother for the first time. And, allow me some freedom of speculation here, but I think that, even though there were surprises, uncertainty, and all that comes with being a first time mom, there was also the realization of a dream--to be a mother. Who she was as a woman came to fruition as she birthed her first baby. Isn't that beautiful in its simplicity? A baby changes everything....in a way that deepens a life well lived and purposes fulfilled.
Part of the song says,
"Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything
Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything."
Now, I'm not a mother...but, I have been privileged to be a part of welcoming many "first" babies into the lives of my friends in the past few years. Babies do change everything--guitars are put away, toys take over living rooms, rooms are converted by cribs and soft pastels, dads become mush, parents become sleep deprived, and on and on...life changes when a baby comes. New life demands change...there's no other option as we accept the new.
Mary's life was turned upside down by the birth of the Christ child...but not just because she birthed Jesus, but because she became a mother for the first time. And, allow me some freedom of speculation here, but I think that, even though there were surprises, uncertainty, and all that comes with being a first time mom, there was also the realization of a dream--to be a mother. Who she was as a woman came to fruition as she birthed her first baby. Isn't that beautiful in its simplicity? A baby changes everything....in a way that deepens a life well lived and purposes fulfilled.
Day 4, Sunday
Today's emphasis in church was "Peace." I chuckled inwardly during the service...I do have some filters left and held it in...because the service was like a circus at times...kids moving to get in place to sing, youth up and down to get in place to play handbells, etc, etc...
We got up to sing before the sermon and it was as if everything stilled...I sang these words-
"It's still a mystery to me that the hands of God could be so small,
How tiny fingers reaching in the night could be the hands that measured the sky."
God came to us...not at a "perfect" time, when people expected the arrival of a King, or at a time that was free of conflict...and God did not come in conventional way. God came as a baby--birthed by a teenage girl, no mid-wife or mother to be found, immortal God dependent on mortal man. By coming in this way, God taught us and continues to teach us an important lesson--peace comes despite our surroundings. We can sit around and complain about our nation, our government, the state of the world...we can get bogged down in how "bad" things are these days for our families, ourselves, and our world...
But peace has come to us--as a baby, as a Spirit, as a Creator God, as a cross, as an empty tomb...
And continues to come to us--in new life, in a small voice in the darkness, in a child's laugh, in a friend's smile, in music that moves, in grass that grows...
Do you see it? Do you feel it? Do you recognize that peace lives in your heart? And that you have the capacity to be peace to someone else? Be peace.
We got up to sing before the sermon and it was as if everything stilled...I sang these words-
"It's still a mystery to me that the hands of God could be so small,
How tiny fingers reaching in the night could be the hands that measured the sky."
God came to us...not at a "perfect" time, when people expected the arrival of a King, or at a time that was free of conflict...and God did not come in conventional way. God came as a baby--birthed by a teenage girl, no mid-wife or mother to be found, immortal God dependent on mortal man. By coming in this way, God taught us and continues to teach us an important lesson--peace comes despite our surroundings. We can sit around and complain about our nation, our government, the state of the world...we can get bogged down in how "bad" things are these days for our families, ourselves, and our world...
But peace has come to us--as a baby, as a Spirit, as a Creator God, as a cross, as an empty tomb...
And continues to come to us--in new life, in a small voice in the darkness, in a child's laugh, in a friend's smile, in music that moves, in grass that grows...
Do you see it? Do you feel it? Do you recognize that peace lives in your heart? And that you have the capacity to be peace to someone else? Be peace.
Day 3 of Reflections
I apologize for the delay in my reflections...it's not because I was slacking, but because I have no internet access at home and had to wait for the weekend to pass to get back on! :) So, three days at once here we go!
Saturday, December 3
Every morning of the week, I have a rather lengthy commute, around 35 minutes to school. Most mornings I am wrapped up in my own thoughts or so zoned out that I don't even pay attention to my surroundings...getting down the road is my aim. But, last week, there was one morning that I looked up and gave attention to the mountains. They were absolutely breath-taking...they were a crisp blue and so defined against the morning sky. I gasped slightly and tears welled in my eyes. I was overcome by creation, by the simplicity of something that is there every day, waiting for me to notice...
I wanted to take a picture...to capture the moment. But, all of a sudden, I drove into the valley and the mountains became veiled by thick, dense fog. The moment was gone, the beauty had disappeared...but had it? I had this light bulb moment when I realized that faith is the same...God gifts us with these moments of clarity--we see clearly for an instant, we don't doubt, we are immersed in the presence of God, we see, but for a moment, the beauty of God...
And then it is veiled...we experience death, we have a bad day, we pray and feel like the prayers rain back down on us, we stumble through steps of faith....and yet, we must remember the beauty that we once beheld...because it is there...just hidden perhaps for a moment.
Saturday, December 3
Every morning of the week, I have a rather lengthy commute, around 35 minutes to school. Most mornings I am wrapped up in my own thoughts or so zoned out that I don't even pay attention to my surroundings...getting down the road is my aim. But, last week, there was one morning that I looked up and gave attention to the mountains. They were absolutely breath-taking...they were a crisp blue and so defined against the morning sky. I gasped slightly and tears welled in my eyes. I was overcome by creation, by the simplicity of something that is there every day, waiting for me to notice...
I wanted to take a picture...to capture the moment. But, all of a sudden, I drove into the valley and the mountains became veiled by thick, dense fog. The moment was gone, the beauty had disappeared...but had it? I had this light bulb moment when I realized that faith is the same...God gifts us with these moments of clarity--we see clearly for an instant, we don't doubt, we are immersed in the presence of God, we see, but for a moment, the beauty of God...
And then it is veiled...we experience death, we have a bad day, we pray and feel like the prayers rain back down on us, we stumble through steps of faith....and yet, we must remember the beauty that we once beheld...because it is there...just hidden perhaps for a moment.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Day 2 of Reflections...
Most of you know that I was born on Christmas Day...more years ago than I care to admit now...and it was definitely a surprise to my parents who expected my arrival in February. I wonder if Jesus was a premie? Had Mary's nine months come to an end? Or did God surprise her and the rest of the world with an early arrival? My mom wasn't prepared for me...but obviously, I came. The world wasn't prepared for Jesus to come as he did, but he came. He still comes, whether we are prepared or not.
But, as in the birth of any child, my mom experienced a gift like no other...of a child...of her own flesh...but also not of herself...
How much more did Mary experience as she carried the Son of God in her womb and then gave birth to him? Of herself, but of God? Blows my mind...
Christmas has always been a special holiday for my family...joy has always been an element present in our family around this season. As a child, it was always busy...Daddy was preparing for the Christmas cantatas, Mama was cooking, groups at church were preparing gifts for families, and on and on. In all of this busy-ness, Mama and Daddy started traditions which have become central to my recollections of the season.
I don't remember my first Christmas of course...we have many traditions...we open gifts from siblings on Christmas Eve...we eat crab stew and broccoli cornbread on Christmas Eve because that's what my mom had when she went into labor with me...and for many years we went to people's houses as a family to carol outside their doors on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, the "kids" went reluctantly, but we always ended up with bright smiles on our faces after seeing what a few songs and blended voices did for the people to whom we sang.
I was teaching Preschool Choir the other night...can't get away from those 4 and 5 year olds....I read a story about a college student who went to Senegal and painted the Bible stories that were told to women in a small group. I told the kids...God can use whatever you're good at to tell others how much Jesus loves them...not everyone is a painter or singer, but God can use so many things--there was a doctor in the room, a teacher, and much more.
Today, I thought about my little voice and how my parents taught me from a very early age to use it for God's glory. I've come a long way since my first Christmas carol "Away in a Manger" that never was sung to the congregation when I was three years old. It was never about the "audience," but about the few that received our sincere gifts that brought joy, not only to them, but to a small family practicing the art of tradition. And aren't the gifts that we have received the most joy from ones that seemed small at the time? A baby doll, a note from a friend, a pie prepared especially for us, a kind word, a warm hug...these are the things that make up a rich life....a baby boy born so long ago...may we not lose sight of these precious gifts.
But, as in the birth of any child, my mom experienced a gift like no other...of a child...of her own flesh...but also not of herself...
How much more did Mary experience as she carried the Son of God in her womb and then gave birth to him? Of herself, but of God? Blows my mind...
Christmas has always been a special holiday for my family...joy has always been an element present in our family around this season. As a child, it was always busy...Daddy was preparing for the Christmas cantatas, Mama was cooking, groups at church were preparing gifts for families, and on and on. In all of this busy-ness, Mama and Daddy started traditions which have become central to my recollections of the season.
I don't remember my first Christmas of course...we have many traditions...we open gifts from siblings on Christmas Eve...we eat crab stew and broccoli cornbread on Christmas Eve because that's what my mom had when she went into labor with me...and for many years we went to people's houses as a family to carol outside their doors on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, the "kids" went reluctantly, but we always ended up with bright smiles on our faces after seeing what a few songs and blended voices did for the people to whom we sang.
I was teaching Preschool Choir the other night...can't get away from those 4 and 5 year olds....I read a story about a college student who went to Senegal and painted the Bible stories that were told to women in a small group. I told the kids...God can use whatever you're good at to tell others how much Jesus loves them...not everyone is a painter or singer, but God can use so many things--there was a doctor in the room, a teacher, and much more.
Today, I thought about my little voice and how my parents taught me from a very early age to use it for God's glory. I've come a long way since my first Christmas carol "Away in a Manger" that never was sung to the congregation when I was three years old. It was never about the "audience," but about the few that received our sincere gifts that brought joy, not only to them, but to a small family practicing the art of tradition. And aren't the gifts that we have received the most joy from ones that seemed small at the time? A baby doll, a note from a friend, a pie prepared especially for us, a kind word, a warm hug...these are the things that make up a rich life....a baby boy born so long ago...may we not lose sight of these precious gifts.
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